Matthias miller



(ModeL) MILLER.

Hold Back- No. 241,816, Patented May 24,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHIAS MILLER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARVEY BISSELL, OF SAME PLACE.

HOLDBACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,816, dated May 24, 1881.

Application filed March 28, 1881.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful I mprovements in Holdbacks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of holdbacks in which one part of the device is to be secured to the shaft of the vehicle and the other part to the holdback-strap, the latternamed part to be attached to the former in hitching up. A

The object of the invention is to facilitate the attachment and detachment of holdbackstraps to and from the shafts, and to prevent them from becoming detached therefrom by accident when in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an inverted side view of my improved holdback applied to a shaft and holdback-strap. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. dis a perspective view of the two parts detached and in position as about to be con- 2 5 nected. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the shaft portion of the holdback and its rotary locking-cylinder separated.

The letter A denotes the shaft, and B the part of the holdback which is permanently 0 secured thereto by means of screws passing through the plate I), while 0 is the holdbackstrap, and D is the head or portion of the holdback attached to the strap for engagement with the part B on the shaft. From the attaching- 3 5 plate b projects a lug, E, preferably about semicircular in shape, with its straight side next the plate. Transversely through the lug E is formed a cylindrical passage or seat, 6, to receive the rocking or rotary locking-cylinder F.

From the passage or seat 0 an opening, 6, is cut through the curved side of the lug E, and a radial notch, f, is cut in the locking-cylinder F. The said locking-cylinder has also a peripheral groove, into which project lips g,

formed on the edges or walls of the opening 0,

these lips preventing the cylinder from shifting longitudinally in its seat.

In order to place the cylinder F within the seat 0 of the lug E, the two lips g are left to project outward from the'edges of the opening (Model) c, and the lips, in such position, do not inter: fere with the cylinder being inserted endwise into the seat 0. When the cylinder is in proper 7 position, so that its peripheral groove coincides with the lips g, the latter are bent inward into said groove, as shown in Fig.3, by which means the cylinder is securely confined in place, but is capable of being rotated.

It will thus be seen that the cylinder can be made of a single piece of metal, with its end flanges formed by the peripheral groove, and, further, that the cylinder is arranged entirely within the passage 0 of the lug, with its exposed ends flush with the sides of the lug, which is a very desirable construction.

The head D is composed of two jaws, d d, connected near their tips by a cross-bar, h, preferably rectangular in cross-section, and of a size to fit snugly in the notchfin the cylinder F. The jaws d d are connected at their bases by a base-piece, z', from the middle of which projects at right angles a loop, k, to receive the holdback-strap.

A pin, l, fits loosely through a hole formed in the attaching-plate and lug E, and the inner end of said pin is forced against the periphery of the cylinder F by means of a fiat spring, m, which bears upon its other end, said spring bein g laid behind the attaching-plate b,in the recess in which said plate isinserted in the shaft, a slight extra recess being made from the bottom of the main one to receivethe spring. The pin and spring are for the purpose of producing a sufficient friction upon the cylinder to prevent it from turning, except when rocked for the purpose of connecting or disconnecting the head D. When the head D is disconnected from the part B the locking-cylinder is left in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the pin by friction holds it in such position ready for the parts to be again connected.

To hitch the holdback-strap to the shaft, the head D is brought to the position shown in Fig. 3, the cross-bar h is laid in the notch f of the locking-cylinder, and the head is then turned 5 with the loop is to the rear, said loop being of such length that when its end strikes the attaching-plate the notch f will have passed the opening a, and a solid portion of the periphery of the cylinder will close said opening, the I00 loop standing in the proper position to hold the holdbackstrap. In unhitehing, the manipulation isjust the reverse of that described for hitching up.

I am aware that a holdback for harness has been constructed of a lug attached to the shaft. and provided with a cylindrical passage or seat, in which is arranged a rotating roller having a radial slot and flanged at its ends, and confined in place by the flanges bearing, against the side walls of the lug; but in such structare it is necessary to make one of the flanges of a separate piece of metal, and rivet it to the roller after the latter has been inserted endwise into the cylindrical seat of the lug, and the flanges of the roller project beyond the sides of the lug, which detracts from the conr pact form of the device, and, besides, the rivets which attach the separate tlange to the roller are liable to rupture or to become loose, thereby rendering the parts inoperative. Such objectionable features are entirely overcome by my invention.

What I claim is- 1. A holdbaek for harness, consisting of the cylinder F, of a single piece, formed with the slot f and the peripheral groove, and arranged enl irel y within the cylindrical passage 0 0f the lug E, with its outer ends seated in and flush with the sides of said lng,in combination with lips g, formed on the edges of the opening 0 of the lug, and turned into the peripheral groove of the cylinder, substantially as described, and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the lug E, having the cylindrical seat, open at its ends and one side, and the notched locking-cylinder fitting in said seat, of the spring-actuated pin passing through a passage in said lug and bearing upon the periphery of said cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTH IAS MILLER.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. FELKER, CHARLES REEVES. 

